In 2008, Samrit and Ailyn Ounyoung celebrated the grand opening of their restaurant at the intersection of Henry Street and Kuakini Highway. It was Samrit’s refined palate and nostalgia for his home country of Thailand that started the idea – he hadn’t been able to find cuisine spiced and cooked to his liking.
Since then, the Ounyoungs have assembled long-tenured staff that are their extended family, whose dedication and energy has taken the restaurant from its early days into the current year, with plenty of accolades along the way, from community regulars to countless Iron Man Triathletes to Miss Peru Camila Escríbens (a contestant for Miss Universe), Krua Thai has fresh and healthy flavors that delight Thai cuisine connoisseurs.
Ailyn, a graduate of Konawaena High School, has been a resident of the Kailua-Kona community since 1988. She says it’s important for her to be involved in the community where she grew up, and where her four children have grown up. Her family members all enjoy art and music and feel strongly about preserving their Asian (Thai and Filipino) heritage. The Ounyoungs support causes that they feel strongly about: Donkey Mill Art Center, Big Island Music Academy, Lions Club, Kahakai, Konawaena and Kealakehe schools, and the Hawai’i Keiki Museum are among the family’s most cherished local establishments.
To celebrate the 15-year anniversary of Krua Thai in Kailua-Kona, the Ounyoungs have enabled a “FREE Community Day” at Hawai’i Keiki Museum. From 10am to 5pm on Saturday, June 17, 2023, anyone wishing to enter the museum is welcome at no cost. This generous gesture supports a non-profit that the family believes is an asset to the community where many Kona residents have found an in-person social network post-COVID.
Hawai’i Keiki Museum, has welcomed over 12,000 visitors, many of whom are local parents and caregivers who were eager for a safe space for keiki to play and interact while learning about STEAM concepts that pertain to Hawai’i Island. Ailyn says, “We instantly aligned with Hawaii Keiki Museum through their core purpose and values. The ability to provide the community this type of education is a lifelong asset. All keiki of all abilities deserve to see, touch and feel things to inspire their future growth”.